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Tag: Lowe Lintas

  • Ad execs voice opinion on call to boycott Surf Excel’s Holi campaign

    Ad execs voice opinion on call to boycott Surf Excel’s Holi campaign

    MUMBAI: Brand Surf Excel has been known for its string of heart-warming advertisements that say ‘Kuch Accha Karte Hue Agar Daag Lag Jayein Toh Daag Acche Hain’. Be it Ramadan, Holi, or Diwali, the brand always has something interesting to offer the viewers in terms of a beautiful narrative promoting unity, most of the times with kids as the anchor.

    This Holi as well, the brand came up its ‘Rang Laaye Sang’ campaign with a video ad that shows a little girl helping a Muslim boy reach the mosque without getting the colours on his cloth. In the end, she also quips that he will have to play with colours once he is done with praying. While the ad impressed a lot of people, a certain section did not like the narrative, which allegedly was against the Hindu sentiments.

    The ad is drawing a lot of backlash on social media, with #BoycottSurfExcel trending on Twitter over the weekend.

    However, there has been immense support pouring in for the brand as well. Vasan Bala, the director who is a part of the team that has made the ad, took to Twitter to share his pride on the support they have received for the ad.

    Speaking about the ad and the backlash it is facing, communications consultant on digital/social media marketing and PR Karthik Shrinivasan said, “In the social media space, everything is a conversation because big brands and people are merely part of the stream of conversations.”

    Sharing his own views on the ad, Shrinivasan quipped, “I thought the new Surf Excel ad was a lovely piece of work by Lowe Lintas. It made me smile at the ingenuity of the little girl who helps her little friend, while also tearing up a bit at the innocence with which children look at each other, beyond the differences we adults create among ourselves. Surf Excel has been doing similar ads using festivals as a backdrop, even in Pakistan (done by Lowe Lintas India). The connecting link is, of course, Daag Achche Hai.”

    He further added, “I do not understand the pointless objections and controversy over the ad. If someone wants to see the ad from their Hindu lens, then doesn’t the ad show the girl (presumably a Hindu) as a brave, intelligent, magnanimous and quick-witted child? It shows her as a fantastic human being. That’s worth lauding if you care deeply about Hindu sentiments, I presume.”

    Shrinivasan concluded, “The other objection is that they show Holi colours as daag and that somehow is insulting Hinduism. I do not understand this either. Holi may be a Hindu festival but it is not a pan-Indian festival. For South Indians, Holi colours are nothing but daag simply because they do not celebrate Holi. I won’t even venture into addressing the love-jihad angle given we are talking about children and that argument is way too disgusting and demeaning to even refer to.”

    Brand-nomics managing director Viren Razdan also reflected the same sentiments as he said, “Adding a ‘human touch’ to dirt has been a continuing theme of the ‘Daag Ache Hain’ campaign. This ad too sits pretty much in the centre of this platform. Holi has on one hand been a celebration of the spirit of togetherness, its brash aggressive play being its hallmark – this story adds a layer of being sensitive and respectful, of course till you hug them with Holi.”

    Logicserve Digital co-founder and CEO Prasad Shejale, however, feels that marketers need to be cautious about the sensitive issues like religion and politics while designing their campaigns. He said, “A well-intended campaign can be seen in a different light as well, the negativity can spread rapidly with the use of social media. The unintended consequence of a well-intentioned idea can actually lead to brand erosion. Gone are the days when we could say that ‘any news is good news’. With multiple conversations across several platforms, all happening in real time, the perceptions of individuals are most fragile/easily malleable. Brands need to be aware of this and strategise their campaigns considering all the factors and without diverting themselves from the core brand values.”

    He added, “HUL, known for its heart-warming campaigns, tried to accomplish something similar with a well-intention-led advertisement for Holi. In what has become a habitual trend on social media, the advertisement was seen in poor light, essentially blowing a non-issue out of proportion.”

    Despite all this, a number of celebs and public figures also stood in support of the campaign. Here are a few tweets that have come up to support the campaign:

  • Surf Excel adds a hue of goodness to the colours of Holi with #RangLaayeSang

    Surf Excel adds a hue of goodness to the colours of Holi with #RangLaayeSang

    MUMBAI: Surf Excel has released its latest campaign #RangLaayeSang for the colourful season of Holi. Conceived by Lowe Lintas Mumbai, the campaign speaks about communal harmony in a simple yet delightful manner, adding a hue of goodness to the festival.

    The campaign intends to stay true to the essence of Holi by sending out a message of bringing people together, and shows how colours can be an equaliser in our society. The campaign film, which brings alive Surf Excel's Daag Achhe Hain philosophy, is set amidst the Holi celebrations where a young girl chooses to get stained in Holi colours in order to protect her young friend. It ultimately suggests, ‘Agar kuch achha karne mein daag lag jaaye toh daag achhe hain.’

    Commenting on the campaign, Lowe Lintas regional creative officer Carlos Pereira said, “We felt the festival of Holi gave us the opportunity to highlight the true spirit of togetherness. By making colour the medium of oneness, we could seamlessly bring forth the larger thought of Rang Laaye Sang – a sentiment that kids truly believe in."

    Hindustan Unilever Ltd executive director – home care Priya Nair said, “Holi is one of our biggest festivals, celebrated with much fanfare across the country. However, in the midst of the fun and revelry, one can often forget the true spirit of the festival. The #RangLaayeSang campaign from Surf Excel beautifully captures how the colours of Holi can be a force for good, melting differences and bringing people together. It seamlessly brings to life our decade long ‘Dirt is Good’ philosophy – ‘Agar kuch accha karne mein daag lag jaaye, toh daag acche hain’.”

    The campaign will be live across TV, outdoor, and digital.

  • Gits Food says #EverydayIsWomensDay

    Gits Food says #EverydayIsWomensDay

    MUMBAI: Gits Food Products Ltd has launched a brand new campaign highlighting the concept of women empowerment ahead of Women’s Day. The campaign has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas and is live across social media platforms – YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and OTT.

    The digital film highlights the journey of a woman and the challenges faced by her in society. It illustrates how repeatedly women are told ‘jaga rasoi me hain’ (their place is in the kitchen) irrespective of her relationship. The film shows how she successfully balances her way through the home and finds happiness, pride, and self-worth at work at the Gits Food factory. The factory’s current workforce consists of 98 per cent women and has successfully enabled real change in their lives.

    Commenting on the video, Gits Food director – sales and marketing Sahil Gilani said, “Gits has always promoted women empowerment by employing nearly an all women factory workforce, 98 per cent to be precise. This practice has been around for over six decades and has women whose three generations have worked at Gits. It gives us immense pride to showcase a story unique to the hundreds of women who are part of the Gits family workforce."

  • Fastrack ‘moves’ hearts with an initiative conceived by Lowe Lintas

    Fastrack ‘moves’ hearts with an initiative conceived by Lowe Lintas

    MUMBAI: One of the most youthful brands in India, Fastrack, has come up with a moving initiative celebrating Valentine’s Day. Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas Bangalore, it addresses the conservative section of the society who have held back the LGBTQ+ community in India from enjoying the liberty to love.

    Valentine’s Day celebrations in India have always been represented by young, heterosexual couples and big red hearts. This initiative aims to make this day about not just expressing heterosexual love, but love of all forms, embracing all colours of the rainbow. Therefore, Photography – as a tool for self-expression – seemed like the perfect way to portray the newly legitimized love.

    Seven photographers, who were handpicked for their diverse styles, were invited to photograph genuine intimacy between real couples from the LGBTQ+ community across the country. Their photographs have been artistically displayed in public places of crowded metros for all to see. The message of each photograph of every couple is simply to 'move on'.

    Commenting on the agency's approach, Sagar Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas, said "As a brand Fastrack has always defined its own 'cool'. This idea is one such expression. Expression of another kind of love. Also in execution, we wanted it to have an unbiased lens. We literally got 7 photographers on board to capture this love through their lenses. The captures are hence their interpretation and not just an execution of a creative brief."

    This is the first Valentine’s Day after the repeal of Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. While the honourable Supreme Court has decriminalized homosexuality, the battle for their social legitimacy is far from over.

    Ayushman Chiranewala, Marketing Head, Fastrack, Titan Company Limited, added further, "Supreme Court’s verdict on Sec 377 was a step in shaping a progressive generation to come, that, however, has not yet helped change the society’s mindset. While there is a lot being spoken, we saw this day as the perfect start to do something to normalize ‘love’ no matter who expresses it.

    The photo exhibition is an attempt at showcasing ‘love’ among some of the most conventionally unconventional couples, free of judgement from society and naysayers. As the brand that has always voiced the youth’s opinion, Fastrack has never shied away from taking a stance this is our way of triggering a discussion the multitudes are shying away from. There’s more to be done by Fastrack to celebrate the different individualities. It’s only the first step from Fastrack to contribute to the efforts of finding acceptance for ‘true love’."

    The Fastrack initiative will prove to be a one-off, unconventional medium promoting equality, fair treatment and social acceptance of the marginalized LGBTQ+ community, and their right to live and love.

    The initiative is live and aims to build greater awareness amongst people. To this end, the photographs have been displayed at prominent places in Bangalore, Kolkata and Noida.

  • Housing.com to launch ‘Ghar dhoondhna koi inse seekhe’ campaign

    Housing.com to launch ‘Ghar dhoondhna koi inse seekhe’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Real estate platform Housing.com will launch its new TV campaign “Ghar dhoondhna koi inse seekhe” starring Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani on 7 December 2018.

    Created by Lowe Lintas, the campaign aims to target the millennial home-seeker in major cities in India. It will be amplified across TV, print, digital, radio, cinema, DTH, and outdoor media. The total spends across platforms will be around Rs 35 crore with a major thrust on television followed by digital.

    Lowe Lintas regional president – north and east Janmenjoy Mohanty said, “Our first set of commercials for Housing.com reflects an emerging theme born out of the growing financial independence and enhanced digital footprint of women – not only they are key decision makers in the home-buying process, they’re also showing the world the new way to choose a house. That’s why we say, “Ghar dhoondna koi inse seekhe".”

    As revealed by the real estate company, the campaign is being launched to celebrate the increasing participation of women in the home buying journey. The campaign draws insight from a consumer behaviour study conducted by Housing.com, wherein the trend shows that women participate in equal measure during home search and in fact are found to be more diligent, rational, and practical in their approach than men. The study discovered that the involvement of women between the age group of 18 and 34 (millennials) is growing rapidly in property-related decisions. In 2016, women users accounted for 51 per cent of the sessions online, while men accounted for 49 per cent. So far in 2018, women account for 54 per cent of online sessions on Housing.com, and the share of men in this regard has fallen to 46 per cent.

    Housing.com head of marketing Snehil Gautam said, “As a technology leader, we always strive to create an unmatched experience for our customers through our robust tech platform. Our new campaign ‘Ghar dhoondhna koi inse seekhe’ is based on a simple yet endearing creative coupled with captivating music, which will resonate well with our audience across segments. The viewers would somewhere see their own reflection in the protagonists during their home-search journey. The campaign also includes creatives that explain the smart search features being introduced.”

    Housing.com CBO Mani Rangarajan said, “We have been very focused on business and our numbers reflect the same.  Our revenue y-o-y in FY18 grew at 125 per cent and we have already achieved a growth of 95 per cent y-o-y in H1FY19. Our listings on the platform in H1FY19, have shown a robust growth of 90 per cent. The brand campaign will further reinforce our promise of delivering unparalleled value to our partners and customers.”

    The campaign also highlights the brand’s ‘Smart Search Technology’ that enables users to find their dream home by providing in-depth information in a structured and effortless manner. It helps users to quickly and efficiently compare price trends by locality, identify nearby amenities in the neighbourhood such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets, and ATMs among others and find customised home listings of their choice be it in the luxury, affordable, or ready-to-move-in segments.

  • GoDaddy launches marketing campaign “bijness Bhai” with MS Dhoni

    GoDaddy launches marketing campaign “bijness Bhai” with MS Dhoni

    MUMBAI: GoDaddy, one of the cloud platforms dedicated to small and independent ventures, today launched its new integrated marketing campaign focused on educating entrepreneurs in India about the value of creating an online presence for their business. The campaign is conceptualised by Lowe Lintas.

    The aim is to help people understand the ease and affordability of building a website with the robust ecosystem that GoDaddy offers, to manage and grow their businesses.

    For this campaign, GoDaddy has signed MS Dhoni, former captain of the Indian cricket team, portraying a supreme mentor and guide as the “Bijness Bhai” (business mentor), the foremost authority on business for small business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals across the country.

    Commenting on the campaign and collaboration with Dhoni, GoDaddy India MD and VP Nikhil Arora said, "We are thrilled to be working with a global phenomenon like Dhoni and share our combined story. He represents a true voice of India with a successful professional journey, as a cricketer and now as an entrepreneur. Coming from a small town in the country, Dhoni has worked hard to gain prominence and achieve success by following his passion and doing what he believes in. We hope that his story can inspire and encourage business owners, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities across the country, to follow their dream and get their ideas online.”

    Together, GoDaddy and Dhoni will work towards encouraging people to turn their ideas into reality online. In line with the company’s commitment to offer products, services and support in local languages, the marketing campaign will be available in seven Indian languages, including Hindi, Gujrati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu, to help spread the message to people across the country.

    “Every successful inning requires a strong and stable mentoring. My association with GoDaddy on the next inning of my life is an assurance that I have a mentor and guide to help me reach my goals and bring my ideas to life,” said Dhoni. “Like me, for all aspiring entrepreneurs out there, with GoDaddy as your partner, your business can realise its true potential, equipped with the right online tools and solutions required to deliver a match winning performance on the challenging pitch of business that lies ahead,” he further added.

    "At GoDaddy, we are focused on supporting small businesses by helping them create an online presence to help their ventures grow and thrive. Through this campaign and our association with Dhoni, we want to create awareness about the benefits of going online, while demonstrating the power of our integrated suite of products and services to help emerging India transform digitally,” Arora added.

    Using an engaging narrative, the commercials illustrate how the company is strongly focused on supporting the growth of its partner ecosystem, by empowering them with digital solutions to quickly adapt to the changes in the business environment.